SEATTLE -- The Boston Red Sox have played in 78 games this season and Shane Victorino has been involved in just 21 of them.

The wait for Victorino's return will be longer than expected after Victorino's back began to stiffen up while rehabbing with Triple- A Pawtucket. He's expected to miss at least the next few days and will be reexamined by the medical staff.

"We don't have a timeframe," manager John Farrell said Wednesday.

Victorino was originally expected to return from a hamstring injury on Friday so the Red Sox could get back to having 13 position players for their series against the New York Yankees. Since he's not available, the Red Sox will look at other options.

"We'd like to think it would be a right-handed hitter that could help balance things out," Farrell said. "That's why Shane's return to us felt like a fit for a number of reasons. One, the player he is, but just the balance of right- and left-handed. So we'll see what options are available to fix that."

Of the healthy players currently on the Red Sox's 40-man roster, only outfielder Alex Hassan (who was 1-for-8 with five strikeouts in a short stint with the team earlier this season) and catchers Dan Butler and Christian Vazquez fit the right-handed description.

But the Red Sox could open up a spot on the 40-man roster for someone like Ryan Roberts or, hold your breath, Mookie Betts. The Red Sox prefer not to call up Betts unless he's going to play every day, but if Victorino is going to be out for an extended period of time, that opportunity could present itself.